<p>You are not considering the “yield”. Most colleges end up with 30-35% of the students they accept. 33,000 applications for 5000 seats is correct. Look it up. I can assure you that no one with a GPA under 3.0 gets in. </p>
<p>I’m reminded of the the kids of parents we know (highly ranked public high school). There are many examples where these kids and their parents had the same opinion of UMass as you do, but did not even get accepted (and they had 3.4 GPAs). There are others who chose third rate private colleges for $50,000+ per year instead of UMass. The joke is on them and/or their parents, who have to pay $200,000 for a degree from a mediocre unknown college. But of course, at cocktail parties, their parents do not have to say their kids go to UMass - that is surely worth $200,000 I’m sure :)</p>
<p>I’ve come across many new college graduates at my company. There are many of them who are shocked that they now owe $100,000 in student loans. Many of these kids have told me first hand that they wished they took the advice of people who told them to attend UMass and come out with no debt. We have UMass grads here too from the Isenberg business school. In many cases they are smarter and better prepared than the ones who attended so-so schools and now will be living with their mommy and daddy for the next ten years.</p>